There are a few questions I can always count on when meeting with new clients. Whether the project is a new custom home or an addition to an already existing structure, green home design and energy savings is on most clients minds. Though there are many green home solutions available today, the most frequent question I am asked is, “what is your experience with solar power and is it worth the investment?” I can easily answer this question because our firm has a great deal of experience in green home design, having incorporated countless systems into our custom homes. More importantly is my personal experience with solar power, as I have solar panels on my own home. The answer is an absolute YES!

My home was built at the end of 2010 and like all the homes we design, we detail out provisions in our construction documents to build in the necessary items needed to add solar power in the future. A few hundred dollars is the total cost for these provisions. If these are not done, it could cost a lot more because you will have to rip into your walls and roof in order to install after the house is built. We added solar to our home a year after we moved in.